Author Interview

1) Can you tell us a little about High Hopes?

In High Hopes, three old friends are confronted with a secret from twenty years ago. An adopted child traces her birth mother. The father knows nothing about her and when the truth is revealed, it rocks them to the core. They think they know everything about each other but are shocked to uncover jealousy and hurt simmering beneath the surface. High Hopes is the name of a place in the book and also represents the theme of having “high hopes” for the future.

2) Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

I’ve long had a fascination for secrets, how people go to great lengths to hide things and what happens when the truth comes out.

3) How long have you been writing?

Over twenty years. After having stories published in womens’ magazines, I moved on to longer works as I always wanted to know what happened next to my characters. I’ve now published two novels – High Hopes and Another Summer. Writing is my therapy and not as expensive as buying shoes.

4) What do you love most about writing romance and women’s fiction?

It’s lovely to escape to a different world sometimes. I do like a happy ending and I enjoy fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together without it seeming contrived. And I’m particularly fond of the misunderstood rebel, the bad boy with a soft centre.

5) What was the hardest part of writing this book?

I don’t find the writing itself difficult but finding time to do it is enormously frustrating. I have a full-time job and a lovely family, so fitting in quality writing time requires forward planning and a tendency towards anti-social behavior, which does not come naturally to a closet rock-chick like myself.

6) How long did it take to write the book from start to finish?

I published Another Summer in Dec 2014 then High Hopes in April 2016. So, just over a year. As I have a full-time job, I write mainly at weekends. During the week, I mull over the next bit of the plot so I’m ready to go as soon as I sit down at my computer. I walk around with a notebook and a purple pen, working out my next scene. I have become that mad woman talking to herself on the bus.

7) What is your writing routine? Are there things you absolutely have to do before you sit down and write?

I like a quiet house so I can walk around talking to myself as I work through my scenes. I always have a supply of new purple pens and a bowl of sweets – the more childish and embarrassing the better! I also like a glass of sparkling water in a cocktail glass.

8) Can you tell us about your editing process?

I tend to write in scenes which are mostly dialogue. In my next draft, I add in the setting and necessary explanation of what’s going on. I then formulate it all into chapters with enticing breaks to keep the reader hooked. My problem is knowing when to stop. I always want to polish and tweak until I drive myself mad. When I start waking up in the middle of the night because I’ve dreamed about one perfect word, I know it’s time to let it go.

9) If you could meet three authors, dead or alive, who would they be?

Three of my all-time favourite books are Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell; Scruples by Judith Krantz and The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. They’re all big, complex stories with a cast of thousands. I’d love to know how those authors kept track of everything.

10) What’re you working on at the moment? Any new novels in the pipeline?

I’m working on my third novel which I’m really enjoying. My progress was a bit delayed by my daughter having the most adorable baby (not that I’m biased!) I also have some short stories in progress. Readers loved my story Painting Rainbows so I’m hoping they’re keen for more while they’re waiting for the next novel. All my work is stand-alone, although I do seem to have developed a common theme of placing a house at the centre of the action.

About the Book

Blurb

“It was one stolen night. He was my soulmate and I’d never felt more alive. I couldn’t tell him I got pregnant. It would’ve ruined everything. But now his daughter wants to meet him and I need to make things right.” Another tear escaped down her cheek. “Everybody’s going to hate me.”

Three friends are rocked when a 20-year secret blows their world apart. Steamy, passionate, and unpredictable. If you like sizzling love triangles you won’t want to miss it.

Grace has kept her heart-breaking secret for twenty years – a love child she gave up for adoption. She was a penniless student – how could she raise a baby alone? Then she receives a letter out of the blue. Her long-lost daughter is searching for answers.

Her two best friends are married and don’t know one of them is the girl’s father. If Grace confesses now, the marriage will be destroyed and it will surely be the end of their lifelong friendship. But what choice does Grace have?

Set in the wilds of Poldark-country – the stormy cliffs and windswept beaches of picturesque Cornwall – an engrossing saga filled with suspense, simmering jealousy and heartbreak. Can a future be built on the quicksand of secrets and lies? Surely there can be no second chances when three friends discover they don’t know each other at all.

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About Sue Lilley

Author Bio

Described as an exciting new voice in Women’s Fiction, Sue Lilley lives in the north east of England, when she isn’t escaping somewhere else in her imagination. She is often found eavesdropping for inspiration. Her first two novels were well received. Another Summer is “an alluring example of its genre”. High Hopes is “a story that holds immense appeal for readers who like plots containing sizzling love triangles.” She is hard at work on her third novel.

The Blogger

Majanka is twenty-six years old and she's loved reading from the moment she finished her first book. She has a Master of Laws degree, and is studying for her Master of Criminology degree. She's been blogging about books since 2010 and became an official reviewer for ind'Tale Magazine in September 2014. She promotes authors and sets up virtual book tours through Enchanted Book Promotions. She writes books for children and young adults. Find out more about her writing here. She also designs websites and graphics on I Heart Designs. On top of that, she's also the lead executive editor for Fear Front Publishing. Find her editing portfolio on The OverAchiever.

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